The Vero Beach Indians will square off against the Jensen Beach Falcons at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Last Tuesday, Vero Beach ended up a good deal behind Cocoa and lost 60-45. While losing is never fun, the Indians can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 274th, while the Tigers are ranked 129th).
Despite the loss, Vero Beach saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ekklesia Anderson went 9 of 18 on her way to 28 points. That was a full 62.2% of Vero Beach's points, marking the third time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jazmyn Morris, who had three points and 12 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Vero Beach smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Jensen Beach's strategy against Treasure Coast on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Jensen Beach blew Treasure Coast out of the water with a 64-37 final score. The Falcons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 21 points or more this season.
Jensen Beach's win came from a few key players Vero Beach will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Danielle Bell, who went 6 of 10 on her way to 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Lizzie Fitzwater, who went 5 of 12 on her way to 11 points along with five assists and five steals.
Jensen Beach's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-4. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.7 points. As for Vero Beach, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-8.
Keep an eye on the arc in Monday's game: Vero Beach has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 39% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Jensen Beach, though, as they've only made 29.2% of their threes this season. Given Vero Beach's sizable advantage in that area, Jensen Beach will need to find a way to close that gap.
Vero Beach might still be hurting after the 44-23 loss they got from Jensen Beach in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Will Vero Beach have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
